


Hypodermic

by IfOnlyItWasCanon



Category: Re-Animator (Movies)
Genre: Addiction, Character Study, Friendship, Gen, Kinda, Needles, danbert if you squint, it's just a dude helping his weird roommate shoot up with glowstick juice u know how it is, this is really short but there's nothing more to add tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-24 17:02:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16644212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IfOnlyItWasCanon/pseuds/IfOnlyItWasCanon
Summary: Every night, Herbert asks Dan to help him with an injection. For some reason, Dan agrees every time.





	Hypodermic

**Author's Note:**

> this is very short but I felt like posting it regardless hgfghf enjoy

He wasn’t sure exactly when it had become a tradition for them.

It wasn’t that Herbert even _needed_ his help, generally. Ever since the first time Dan had helped him, he hadn’t gone long enough without the reagent that his hands were too shaky to find a vein. Still, despite this, Dan found himself sitting on the bed and tightening a strip of cloth around the other man’s arm.

He found himself in this situation every day, without fail. He wasn’t sure what made him keep doing it. Maybe it was because this was one of the few dependable routines he had left. Maybe it was because seeing Herbert like this made him seem a little bit more human.

He often wondered why Herbert asked for his help. Maybe it felt less pathetic when it was someone else’s hands holding the needle. Maybe it hurt less. Maybe, Dan hoped, he just liked having Dan around.

“Squeeze your hand into a fist.” he said. “I can’t find the vein.” If he didn’t think about the situation, he could almost pretend he was back at the hospital.

Herbert complied and made a fist. His other hand tapped anxiously at the bed. He always seemed anxious before the shot. Dan guessed it was out of anticipation - the years of scarring on Herbert’s other arm were a giveaway that he probably had no aversion to needles.

“Hurry _up_.” he whined.

“Calm down. I’m working on it.” said Dan. “I can’t just stab anywhere.”

Herbert clenched his fist tighter. “Just do it. Please.” he said. “I don’t care.”

“You know that’s not how this works.” Dan replied, tired. Finally finding the artery, he positioned the syringe.

“I know. I know.” Herbert said. He sighed. There was a moment of silence as the needle punctured his skin.

“You really should stop this.” said Dan, carefully sinking the needle into the other man’s arm. “There’s no way it’s safe.” He pushed down the plunger of the syringe, emptying the glowing liquid into the vein.

“Safety isn’t my priority.” Herbert replied. “Efficiency is.” His free hand grabbed Dan’s arm as the needle was pulled back out.

Dan winced as Herbert’s nails dug into his arm. He let out a strained, shuddering breath and collapsed forward into Dan as the reagent made it’s way through his system. He clenched his other hand tightly in the fabric of Dan's shirt and buried his face in the curve of his shoulder as he shook violently.

“You won’t be very efficient if you’re dead.” Dan remarked, patting him on the back.

“I’m not going to _die_.” he said through gritted teeth. He took a deep breath and sat back up, adjusting his glasses. “Ever.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> h.p. lovecraft wants what I have


End file.
